Leon Kinnard Talks About Leaving The UConn Football Program

Citing an opportunity to get on the field to do what he loves sophomore receiver Leon Kinnard was given his release from UConn today and will transfer to a Division I-AA school where he can play right away.

He wants to play quarterback. He was recruited to play quarterback at UConn but even in a spread offense situation Kinnard believes he get more of an opportunity.

One destination could be Towson. Head coach Rob Ambrose, the former quarterbacks coach at UConn, recruited Kinnard, who hails from Reistertown, Md. He also mentioned Delaware and Villanova as possibilities.

"I had a great time here but I want to go somewhere where I can be on the field and get the best opportunity I can," Kinnard told me a few minutes ago. "I've been out of high school three years now and really, not playing and not playing as much as I wanted, it wasn't really option [to stay].

"After last season going through what we went through...not getting the opportunity I wanted was lingering in the back of mind and to go through another season where I might not get on the field... I want to go to a program that can utilize me and going down (to Division I-AA) I can do that, have fun and just play football.

"At the end of the day that's all I want to do."

Kinnard said he began thinking about leaving UConn since the end of last season but went through spring ball to see how things would go. The spring depth chart showed he had some work to do.

All The Best to Leon Kinnard, his mom and family. Really nice, classy people.

DC

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4 Comments

It's too bad he is leaving but he is making the right decision. Lot's of talent but just too small to play at a 1A level. I think the 1A schools do guys like this a disservice by recruiting them when they only have a long shot of playing.

There are plenty of kids the size of Leon Kinnard playing BCS football. The problem is they are playing CB, RB, and WR. Leon wants to play QB, and at his size, that would be an issue at this level. I forget what the exact quote was, but Edsall made a strange comment a couple of years ago regarding Kinnard playing QB. I liked the kid's playmaking ability and wish it worked out for him here. Good luck Leon and wherever you decide to go, get your degree.

Dez came to Connecticut in 1991 and began covering high schools, then UConn football, the NFL, UConn basketball, Big East football, Big East basketball, national college football, national college basketball, the NBA. He has been a beat writer ... read more